


Defeatism

by CultMother



Series: The Miraculous Chronicles [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Main Character(s), Angst, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Hawkmoth Defeat, Identity Issues, Identity Reveal, Jealousy, Murder, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-10-25 18:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 15,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20728523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CultMother/pseuds/CultMother
Summary: What hurts more? The thought of being lied to, or that the one you love doesn't accept the one behind the mask you wear? Sometimes it just turns out that way, sometimes you can't really fix or change things. People will love who they love. Adrien just doesn't love Marinette.And maybe that's just the easiest thing to acknowledge out of everything else she's lost.[Love Square fic]Defeatism - an attitude of accepting, expecting or being resigned to defeat.





	1. Loss

**Author's Note:**

> I've been wanting to write something for two years but none of my ideas have really panned out. I've finally found something that represents both my style of writing and something I'd want to write! 
> 
> I like angst.

“Hey… wait…” The camera faced Ladybug. The blips in her ear were vicious, repeating over and over again and she couldn’t get out of there fast enough. She was surrounded, on all sides, by reporters. There wasn’t a single awning she could latch onto with her Yoyo. It felt like her head was pounding, spinning as she turned, looking for an escape route. There! There it was! 

She whipped her Yoyo at the protruding piece of wood, a support beam. She could see sparkles of detransformation surrounding the string as it was slowly eaten away. She pulled, her mask half-consumed, as she could feel herself rising in the air- only to plummet. She could feel herself hit the floor. Not from a place too high, but enough that she was winded. She let out a yelp, struggling to stand to her feet as the flashes of cameras and the sound of onlookers exclaiming their surprise converged. All she could see, however, was the surprised face of the model she came to see. “You’re… Ladybug?” There was confusion in his voice, some surprise, and some hurt, a mix. “But you…”

As they stared at one another, it wasn’t Ladybug looking at Adrien, it was Marinette. A Marinette he didn’t recognize. The look on her face was one of horror. As she scrambled away, out of the crowd, a reporter stepped in her path. Tikki floated around her, overwhelmed by the amount of attention and questions she was getting. “You’re Ladybug? Who are you?”

“That’s Marinette, that’s the girl that babysits my daughter!” It was too late for Nadia to take back her statement. It was just second nature to her to report proper news, something that would get views, and this sure as hell would get her views. She had everything she wanted already, definitely, but this story- it was either she covered it, or another, lesser news station did. Marinette saw the apologetic look, she chose to ignore it. 

Before she knew it, she was bumping into someone else in her attempt to escape. All of the people she knew would know. Everyone. She would never be safe again, her family wouldn’t be safe again. For all she knew, Hawkmoth was already…! As she looked up, she saw Gabriel Agreste. His glare was ice cold, terrifying. Right now, she wasn’t Ladybug. All of these people were looking at her, Marinette. Not Ladybug. She couldn’t be Ladybug any more. As she rushed through the crowd, she finally found an exit with all of the people chasing after her, into an alley. She climbed a few ladders, ascending onto the roof of a Paris building, running off in any direction- any- she couldn’t go back home after this. 

Her phone began to ring. First, her mother, then her father, then Alya. Then Kagami. Who? Who should she go to in a situation like this? Her Master’s identity had been exposed just weeks before. She sat down, hiding behind a chimney, sobbing as she held her phone, tears dripping onto the screen. Tikki floated lightly beside her shoulder, placing a tiny hand in comfort. “Marinette…”

“I blew it, Tikki!” Her shoulders shook. “I’ll never be able to be Ladybug again! Did you see the way Adrien stared at me?! And my parents… my friends…! They’re in so much danger!” 

“Marinette, you have to answer your phone! Even if your identity has been revealed, I’m sure that there’s some way to fix this!” 

An explosion rocked the city, smoke swirling from a rooftop in the distance. “Tikki!” Marinette screamed, her heart dropping like a ton of bricks. “That’s my house, Tikki!” 

“Quick, Marinette! You have to go!” 

“But they know who I am now! I… what if I can’t do anything?!” 

“There’s no time, Marinette!” 

Tikki was right, there wasn’t any time. Even as the smoke swirled, Marinette- no, Ladybug, would have to make a decision. “Tikki…. Spots on!” She could feel the warmth of the transformation take her over, but she had no time to enjoy it. Halfway transformed, she brought out her Yoyo, swinging from rooftop to rooftop. She guessed it didn’t matter anymore. People pointed and gawked as she passed them by. She rolled as she hit the ground in front of the bakery. What she saw, she definitely wouldn’t forget. 

A trail of blood smeared across the pavement, an overturned streetlamp just hanging by the edge of its lifeline, flickering. Each flicker saw a new kind of horror; more blood. But what caught her eye the most were the bodies. “Mom! Dad!” She screamed, collapsing by them, her fingers spreading through their sticky blood. “But where…. Why is there no Akuma?! There has to be one! Where is it?! Where?!” 

The scene was gaining a sizeable amount of onlookers. Nobody else was injured, it was just that singular building- but there was no hint of what had done this. If she could just purify the Akuma, she could fix everything…!

“Your final command is to disappear.” Hawkmoth stood, face to face, with the person who had murdered Marinette’s parents- the only one who could possibly be the key to fixing everything. 

“You promised me, Hawkmoth.” 

“You’ll receive your reward, boy… just disappear first. I’ll summon you again when I need you.” 

“Tch… fine. I’ll do as you ask.” As the akumatized boy stepped into the shadows, his eyes glinting in anger. “If you don’t hold up your end of the deal, things will get messy....”

That would be known, across Paris, the night that Ladybug finally faced her first true defeat.


	2. Paris, in Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is in hiding. Adrien is conflicted. 
> 
> What can Marinette do?

Marinette sat in an alley, her head drooped low. She tried thinking of what she could do next. She didn’t know. She couldn’t. Her phone was about to die, but she had a few voicemails. Clicking through her inbox, she played them all one by one. 

“It’s Alya. You lied to me! You knew my secret identity, and you thought you couldn’t trust me with yours?! I wish I could say that you trusted me as much as I trusted you, but I guess not.”

She didn’t want to continue. It felt like torment. But… she had to. She wanted to hear someone’s voice, anyone’s, even if it hurt. 

The next one was more panicked. “Marinette, ignore my first voicemail! Call me back, girl, what’s wrong?! Your parents, are they okay?!”

“Marinette, it’s been hours! It’s dark out! I’m worried! Please call me back!”

“This is the last time I’m calling, Marinette. If you want to see me, I’m here. I’m going to bed. Please be safe.”

Alya’s tone had changed. She’d been panicking over the last few hours and Marinette didn’t think it would be right to bother Alya with this, especially since Alya could die just for knowing her. Without an Akuma… she wouldn’t be able to bring anyone back. There was one final voicemail. 

From Kagami.

“Marinette, Hawkmoth could be listening. I don’t know the extent of his power, but meet me where we first became friends.” Marinette remembered- the day Kagami’s mother had been Akumatized. Kagami wouldn’t still be waiting there, right? She couldn’t be. Marinette wanted nothing more to stay in this alley for the rest of her life, but her stomach growled. 

“Marinette…” Tikki sounded weary. Marinette had run out of macaroons a while ago. Even if she found the Akuma, Tikki was in no shape to transform now- not to mention, Marinette herself was feeling exhausted. Tears had left streaks on her face… they had long since dried. “You have to eat something. You have to find somewhere to sleep.” 

“You’re right, Tikki…” She stood up, stumbling a little. She underestimated just how ravenous she was. “I’ll go and see… if Kagami is still there. If not, we’ll find somewhere else to hide, okay…?” She gave Tikki a false smile, but she knew the Kwami could see right through her trying to seem happy. 

As the two stuck to the shadows, traversing the back alleys of Paris through the night, there was civil unrest. She could hear the cries of people who had been a victim to Akumas. Ladybug wasn’t there to help them anymore. There had been more Akumatizations tonight then there have ever been in one night before- people were giving in to despair left and right, and as Marinette tried to safely weave through the streets, Adrien sat in his room. 

“Adrien, there’s Akumas running rampant! I’m not usually this pushy, but it’s not safe to leave this many out there! You’re a hero!” 

“A hero that can’t do anything without Ladybug. I want to go, Plagg, but I just…”

“Hey! Just because Ladybug is Marinette doesn’t mean that Marinette isn’t Ladybug!” 

“Plagg, she’s rejected me so many times. I don’t even know who Marinette could be in love with. And, I don’t know, I just guess I expected someone else under the mask, you know?” He sighed, slumping over, his head in his arms as he sat at his desk. “It’s not that it’s bad that it’s Marinette, I guess, it’s just… hard to believe. I keep running over everything in my mind and I realize that all of it, everything that seemed like a coincidence… It’s all just me being too stupid to realize it and letting her fall in love with someone else.” 

“And you’re moping in the middle of a mass Akuma attack because Ladybug doesn’t love you back?!” 

“No, I just… I knew I would love whoever was under the mask, Plagg, but thinking that the person under the mask would never love me back… you’ve heard all of the times Marinette’s said it, I’m just a friend. And that’s all I saw her as, being the idiot I am. I should’ve done something. I should’ve told her how I felt.” 

“About Ladybug?! How would you have known?! If you want Ladybug to love you back, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, get Marinette to love you as Chat Noir! Be a hero!”

Adrien’s head perked up. That’s right! Marinette confessed to Chat Noir once- what an idiot he was! What if she was actually still in love with Chat-- but then why would Ladybug have rejected Chat Noir? Ugh…! This was so confusing. “You’re right, Plagg. Ladybug is a hero, she wouldn’t abandon anyone. She needs me out there right now. Marinette needs me.” He’d been avoiding any news coverage about it all. He’d needed time to think and collect his thoughts. He knew he loved her, he just needed to get her to love him back- without revealing his secret identity. It was already over for Adrien Agreste and Marinette, so all he could hope for was that he’d show her Chat Noir and she’d fall in love with him, no matter who was under the mask. “Plagg! Claws out!” 

Marinette was finally at her destination. Luckily, the Akumas were more focused on the area she came from, hunting for her, calling her name. The further she got from their calls, the more relieved she felt. On the bright side, she saw a figure in the distance- one standing on the bridge. As she got closer, she realized it was two. Standing side by side, Kagami and her mother.   
“So your friend is Ladybug, then. I suppose I can approve of her staying with us. Focus on your studies- become the strongest warrior you can be. We will both be in danger, along with her- so if you truly, really want to protect your friend, you’ll hone your skills.” 

“I will, mother. I want to protect Marinette.” 

“Kagami!” Marinette called, rushing over to her, panting. “It’s not safe for you, or… your mom to be out right now, there’s Akumas everywhere!” 

“Marinette! Why aren’t you Ladybug?” 

Marinette paused, her breathing heavy. “I… Tikki is hungry. I mean, my Kwami. My Kwami is. I can’t transform like this…” It was a half-truth. Honestly, she didn’t want to become Ladybug. Everyone knew. Everyone knew that she was nothing more than a little girl trying to play superhero. It was so much different when nobody knew who you were. It was so easy to just put on a mask and pretend to be someone else, someone who Marinette felt she wasn’t. “I can’t transform. I’m exhausted.” 

“We’ll take you back to our home for a short rest, but you must defeat these Akuma sooner rather than later. I will not allow you to stay if you do not.” Kagami’s mother was harsh and blunt, but at least she was honest. Marinette wasn’t so sure she could defeat them. 

Marinette looked back at the billows of smoke rising in the air. She frowned, looking away from the damage, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. She felt so much pain. She couldn’t save them, not like this…

Chat Noir, on the other hand, stared, wide-eyed, at the pile of rubble that was once Marinette’s home. He had never seen so much blood in one place. Whoever did this, they were different than every other Akuma they had faced- this person had malevolence in their actions. Hatred. Want to cause pain. His hair blew in the wind as he expanded his staff, realizing that, tonight, Marinette would most likely not show up, and for good reason. 

He had to find her. He had to. But first, he’d have to secure a place for her to stay…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took awhile, I've been brainstorming. I work long hours, so sorry for the wait! I also have a huge project I'm working on in writing [Naruto Fanfic,] So I mostly focus on that, but I intend on updating this regularly. c: 
> 
> Tell me what you think!


	3. Ripper

He didn’t like this costume. It was all grandeur. What he really wanted was something else, something more mundane- and he hoped to argue with Hawkmoth would have him returned to normal. He sat in the man’s butterfly room, for lack of a better name for it. “Didn’t I tell you to disappear, Ripper?” 

“Come on, Hawkmoth. Do you think I can go anywhere dressed like this? Let me put my Akuma in a bottle or something, make it like one of those miraculous things.” He tried to put his words into movements, but failed spectacularly, only serving to anger Gabriel Agreste even more. “Come on, don’t look at me like that. You knew what you were signing up for when we decided to start this partnership up.” 

“I don’t believe I did. I don’t want you in my house, you’re dangerous.” 

“Relax. I’m a murderer by choice. Hawkmoth. That means I can choose to murder you or anyone else. I can also choose not to. Of course, if you don’t hold up your end of the deal, that can change pretty damn quickly.” The young man held attitude. He was so brazen as to even defy Hawkmoth, following and tracking him to the butterfly room. “Let me stay. Call me Jack, tell people I’m like a make a wish kid or something. That way, when I disappear, you can tell everyone I’m dead.” 

“You disgust me.”

“And you akumatized me. Let’s not forget our places here, right? I’m a murderer. I kill people. You just gave me a better weapon.” 

Hawkmoth realized the true danger of his situation. What he’d exposed himself, his son, his wife and his employees to wasn’t just some angry child. This was someone who was willing to get things done in a dirtier way than he could ever imagine. Turning innocent people on the population of Paris was different than exposing them to a murderer. “Fine.” Hawkmoth snapped his fingers, causing dark particles to release themselves from Jack’s frame as the Akuma floated out of a knife in his hand. The butterfly lightly floated around Jack, before he captured it with a little bottle that had some twine. At the bottom of the bottle, it seemed like there was dried blood- his trophy from each of his victims, the most recent being Marinette’s parents. He placed it underneath his shirt, hiding it from view. 

“Alright! I feel more like myself now!” 

“What do you want with that girl you requested?” 

Jack paused, seemingly surprised that Hawkmoth would act like he was actually interested in him. “Well, I’m a murderer, but I murder things. So-”

“Don’t act like I’m stupid. You are very capable of killing her yourself. The things you’ve requested…” 

Jack rolled his eyes. “I wanna be alone with her for a few months. Torment her. She got away. I don’t like that. She was in my goddamn arms, Hawkmoth. She was there, totally into me, and suddenly she got scared because I killed one of her friends that didn’t like me.” Hawkmoth’s eye twitched. So even though he was a killer, he was still just a teenager. More like a serial brat than a serial killer. 

At least he’d be able to keep a close eye on him. He didn’t need a goddamn intern, but he was getting one. Least of what he needed was a murderous intern. He got the job done, but at what cost? How many more bodies would he leave in his wake? As long as Jack didn’t threaten his family, it would all be fine… the body count didn’t matter. 

This psycho would get him the miraculous of Ladybug. She just needed a push in the right direction… if she showed up tonight. As long as he had Jack, he could exchange Jack’s Akuma for the Ladybug Miraculous…

~

Marinette was surprised at how soft a bed felt. The shower had been long. She’d cried again. These pajamas were comfortable, even though they weren’t hers. She was settling into bed when suddenly, a thought raced through her mind. What if Chat Noir was out there, fighting all of those Akumas, alone?! What if what happened to her parents happened to him? She shot up, causing Tikki to fall off of the pillow, surprised. “Tikki, spots on!” She had to contact him! 

In her shock, she had forgotten her adversity to transforming. It felt warm, like everything was going to be okay- a soft, gentle embrace. She could feel the magic rustle through her hair, finally completing the full transformation. She took out her compact, flipping it open and dialing Chat Noir…

“L-Ladybug?” 

Wait. Everyone knew her identity. That meant Chat did, too, and she definitely let him down. Her finger lingered over the hangup button, not willing to deal with the embarrassment that came with her failure. She wanted to disappear. 

“Bugaboo, are you all right?”

“I told you not to call me that!” Silence hung over the two. In Marinette’s opinion, that was the worst possible thing she could say, especially considering he was calling to check on her. “I’m sorry, Chat. If I’m being honest… I don’t think I’m okay.” 

“I understand. I wouldn’t be either. Your identity…”

“I’m sorry, Chat…”

“Don’t apologize. I told you, I’d love you no matter who was under your mask. That just happened to be Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I’m still crazy about you, Lady- No. Marinette. I’ll always be on your side, Marinette, no matter what.” Ladybug turned over in the bed, staring at her compact. It was so strange to hear Chat to address her by her actual name, knowing who she was. 

“Well, I guess it’s time for another introduction. I’m Ladybug, the one behind the mask. Marinette.”

“Nice to meet you, Marinette.” Chat played along, a sad, but playful tinge in his voice. “I’m Chat Noir, and I’ll always be your black cat in shining spandex.” He managed to get a giggle out of Marinette, causing him to laugh in return. “Usually, you’d scold me.” 

“Yeah… but now, I’m not so sure I have it in me to pick a fight over your flirting anymore.”

“Can you come to meet me?”

“Now?” 

“Yeah. Sorry, I know it’s late… but I want to see for my own eyes, you know- that you’re Marinette.” 

“You don’t believe it, even after all of the press?”

“It’s not that, I just want to get to know the girl I love better.” 

“Chat…”

“I promise I won’t flirt as much as I am right now. I just… know what it’s like to be all alone, trapped. Hiding your true self.” He felt empowered behind his mask. He’d be shyer if he was Adrien Agreste, but right now he was Chat Noir. A superhero. A flirt. Someone expressive. 

“Fine. I’ll come to meet you.”

Chat perked up. “Really, milady?” 

Neither of them mentioned the akumas on the loose. Chat figured Ladybug wouldn’t be up to Akuma-fighting yet. His first priority was making sure she was okay. After what he saw, she needed something that wasn’t fighting. She needed love. If Marinette was akumatized, all would be lost. He wasn’t ready to lose it all yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I've got the characters right!  
As for Jack, he's an original character I created. He is a veeery bad guy, mixed with being extremely immature. Misguided, maybe?


	4. Rendezvous

Ladybug traversed the rooves of Paris, wanting to get to Chat Noir as quickly as possible. She should be sleeping, but she just couldn’t. Something compelled her to go see him, to confide in someone she knew she could trust. Not that she couldn’t trust Kagami, she felt like Kagami was a true friend- just not someone she should wake up in the middle of the night for something like a sentimental chat, especially considering Kagami had her daily life to deal with. 

As she dropped onto the veranda Chat Noir had specified as their meetup, she looked around. There didn’t seem to be anyone, but she couldn’t be sure- Chat usually blended with the night sky, after all. It was only moments later, where she felt his hands cover her eyes, the fabric of his suit brushing against her cheeks, that she knew he was there. “Guess who?” 

“Chat?” 

As he let go, she turned to look at him, giving him a soft smile. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, blushing as he tried not to look away from her eyes. “You got it right. Um, Marinette…? This will take a while, so…” He gestured to a few seats. He’d fluffed up the pillows on them, and on the table were two mugs of steaming hot cocoa. “This might make you uncomfortable, but could you detransform? Like I said, I wanted to see it for myself.” 

She wasn’t so sure she should at first, but sighed. Maybe this would be a different chapter in her life. She’d always been such a stickler about keeping their identities secret, but what did she have to hide anymore? “Tikki, spots off.” That feeling of the magic enveloping and leaving her all at once, that warmth, consumed her. Chat watched, wide eyes, as Ladybug became Marinette- in nothing more than pajamas. 

As she opened her eyes, he wondered how he couldn’t see it before. They looked the exact same. Something had changed- maybe knowing her secret identity broke some sort of cloak the miraculous put on them? “You’re staring, kitty.” The playfulness in her voice was different than when she was Ladybug. He pulled out a chair for her, allowing her to sit down before pushing it back in again. 

“It’s hard not to. Now I can say how beautiful you are to your face. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Marinette or Ladybug- I love you.” His eyes softened, but the disapproving look on Marinette’s face caused him to chuckle nervously. “Sorry, I didn’t just invite you here to flirt, milady.” He was Chat Noir right now, but how badly he wanted to join her in detransforming. That would just make things more complicated- and there was a lot of risks involved doing it out in the open like this, even in the middle of the night. All was quiet. Hawk Moth’s akumas seemed to have gone in hibernation mode. He knew they couldn’t go after them just yet. 

He watched Marinette as she took a sip of cocoa. Had her lips always been so pink? He felt as if there were bubbles in his heart, but they began to pop the more he remembered what they were here to speak about. “So… you know my identity.” Her face told him that she knew about her parents. He wanted to speak up, comfort her in any way possible.   
“Milady, I don’t know if it’s not my place to say this, but I’ve lost a parent. I know how hard it is, how much it hurts-”

“They’re not lost, Chat. An akumatized person murdered them. If I can just use my lucky charm…”

“I’m sorry.” There was a bit of awkward silence between them. Had he made things worse? Reminding her that her parents were no longer with them could just serve to make her hate him. 

“No, Chat… I’m sorry. I’m way too touchy. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” He felt pressure on his wrist. Ladybug. Marinette. The one he loved was touching him. Looking at him with sorrow. He wanted nothing more than to wipe that frown from her face. Whoever did this to her parents wouldn’t get away with it. He’d make sure of it. 

He wondered why, even when her face was illuminated by moonlight on the brink of tears, he found her beautiful. Maybe he’d always thought of Marinette this way, subconsciously knew but chose to push those feelings to the back of his mind in favor of Ladybug. He’d like to think he’d always seen her as he did now. It made him feel guilty that he didn’t pay as much attention to her as he did her Ladybug persona. 

He stood, causing Marinette to suddenly stand. They stared at each other for a moment, before Chat embraced her. Marinette was rigid, not knowing what to do. “Marinette… I love you with all of my heart. I want you to be safe, so I’ll let you borrow my apartment.” 

“Wait… you have an apartment?” Chat Noir was way too young to own anything like that! “What about your secret identity?” 

It wasn’t really his apartment. It was more of a safe-house, bought by his father. Meant to be used in place of an akuma attack. “I think I can handle living with you, milady. I’m busy during the day, but I can be there at night!” 

Marinette was really considering it. Kagami had been kind enough to take her in. She didn’t just want to leave Kagami and her mother after the kindness they showed… but Chat Noir really looked like he wanted her to accept. “All right. I’ll take you up on your offer.” Chat Noir’s eyes lit up. Marinette would figure out a way to balance living at both places. She’d just tell Kagami she’d switch it up every few days so Hawkmoth wouldn’t go looking for her. 

Adrien, on the other hand, was excited- there was a chance for their relationship to develop! He couldn’t take her back to his actual house, so the safehouse was perfect. There was only one bed, so if they wanted to stick together for a night or so, they’d have to sleep together. Cuddling was the perfect way to kick off some kind of relationship! Or at least he hoped it was. There wasn’t any guarantee Marinette would accept cuddles. But once he thought of he and Marinette in a bed together, his mind went places he wasn’t ready for as he flushed bright red.   
“Chat, are you okay? You look like you have a fever.” 

“I’m fine!” He replied quickly, regaining his poise. How could he think about Marinette like that, especially when she trusted him so much?! He felt a little guilty using this situation to try getting close to her, but when they found the Akuma- there was a chance that Marinette would try giving up her miraculous. If she gave it to someone else… he wanted to remain with her and be with her. So… he had to find an excuse to keep seeing her, even if that was a relationship!

He didn’t doubt for a second that they would succeed. He never would. He knelt down, taking her hand in his and raising it to his lips for a soft kiss. “Milady, I’ll do my best to protect you from now on. Don’t worry, I won’t let any harm come to you!” 

Marinette’s eyes softened. She wished she could give Chat the answer he always desired, but every time she thought of something like romance, Adrien’s shocked face popped into her mind. She hadn’t spoken to him. He hadn’t called. She wanted to go see him, and maybe she should before she started hunting Akumas tomorrow. Just in case… that akuma that hurt her parents showed up. She wanted to make sure she had no regrets before facing someone so dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jack's favorite food is sushi.   
Jack likes Chat Noir as a superhero because he seems really agile, and wants to be agile himself.   
Jack's theme would be blackbear's hot girl bummer. 
> 
> Just a few Jack facts. If you want more random facts, let me know.


	5. Sharing A Bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh... implications, I guess? If you guys could comment and tell me what you think, I'd love that! Other than that-   
I'm going to write another Miraculous Ladybug fanfic after this one is complete. This should run for, at most, a month. At least, I'll have it finished by the end of the week, work permitting. I was just curious in what people were interested in seeing!

Now, Jack wasn’t too much of a fan of public affection. In fact, he strongly advised against it. He wasn’t too bad-looking, although his silvery-white hair drew attention. As he walked around the guest room he’d been set up with, he gently traced the edge of his knife with his thumb. There was a mirror in the room, something he was skirting around, trying not to look at his own reflection. It reminded him of what his father did, how his blonde hair turned white. Thinking of his father alone caused him to grip the knife, the blade digging into his palm. He felt the pain. Blood began to drip from his hand. However, he took a deep breath.

He needed to calm down. Everything Jack wanted was in reach and what Jack wanted was Naomi. He fucked it up pretty bad, but he didn’t want to  _ kill  _ her. All he’d really thought was that relationships were designed to drag people down and destroy them, from inside to out. It’s what they had done to his parents. Naomi didn’t argue with him. Naomi was obedient. Agreeable. And then he went and stabbed one of her loudmouth friends and suddenly he wasn’t good enough for her anymore. 

He slammed his knife down into the dresser. It stuck out of it. He was in a bad mood. He’d probably continue to be in a bad mood until he got his hands on Naomi. This new job wasn’t so bad- all he had to do was kill, something he was already good at, but this time with superpowers. He wondered if Naomi would think he was cool, now that he was like one of those superheroes she liked so much. Did he remember the name- Chat Noir? He was a little jealous, but that was okay. He might have the chance to kill him anyway, so he didn’t have to go out of his way to hunt him down. Maybe he could get some tips on acrobatics and mobility while doing it, too. The kitty ears were a nice touch, he could ask about them. 

He wanted to sleep, but insomnia kept him up. He was too  _ excited.  _ Way too hyped for what was to come next. Maybe he’d befriend Hawkmoth’s kid and stab him in the back on his way out. It would be something to do, at the very least. He took the bottle out of his shirt, looking at it. The butterfly’s wings were coated in crusted blood, giving it a red tinge. He liked it- it was kind of like a pet. He was also thinking of keeping it and giving it to Naomi, showing her how dedicated he was to really  _ working  _ on their relationship. He felt like he was doing all of the work, though. Jack would have to talk to her about that and scold her for it. 

**~**

Marinette stood beside Chat, both of them staring at the bed. They took a sidelong glance at one another before looking away, flustered. “I’m sorry… I should’ve told you there was only one bed.” 

If only Marinette could have told him to stay on the couch, but there didn’t seem to be one. It was a very bare apartment, furnished with only the necessities. “It’s fine! I mean, I’ve never been in a bed with a guy before, so. I just. Might need a second to adjust?” She flushed red. God, what was she  _ saying?  _ And to Chat Noir, of all people? 

“Take all the time you need, milady.” 

“Wait, Chat. What if you detransform in the middle of the night?” 

He hadn’t thought about that. “What if I cover my face with another kind of mask? Just in case.” 

“You mean… detransforming here?”

There was more silence between them. They faced away from one another, each sitting on the edge of their side of the bed. Neither knew what to say to the other, but Chat Noir took the ball into his court. “Plag, claws in.” She heard the magic in the air. She could feel it ring in her ears, soft and quiet. She felt Chat Noir’s weight on the bed, the rustle of his clothing as he- 

“Wait, are you undressing?” 

Adrien was already half-naked. He just couldn’t risk Marinette seeing his daytime clothing and knowing it was him. “N-Not all the way,” 

“Chat!” Marinette hissed. “You’re a boy! I’m a girl! We’re complete strangers… and we’re sharing a bed together! The last thing anyone needs to do here is forgetting their clothing!” 

“I’m sorry, I just usually sleep without clothes!” It took him a moment to realize what he was saying. His mind had instantly moved to throw out some sort of excuse rather than tell the truth, and that was the worst thing he could say at this point! 

“I didn’t need to know that, Chat!” Her face was fiercely red. This was totally a mistake, but she couldn’t leave now! What had she been thinking, accepting his request and knowing the way he felt about her? Was Chat some kind of playboy? What the hell was that kitty playing at?

Meanwhile, Adrien quickly ripped a pillowcase off of one of the pillows on the bed, rushing into the bathroom and cutting in some eyeholes. He slid it onto his head and realized that he had cut just a little too low. As he came out of the bathroom, shirtless and pantsless, having hidden his clothes in the closet for towels, he realized he was only wearing underwear too little too late. “You can turn around now.”

The look on Marinette’s face was nearly priceless. If he had pranked her, he would consider this a complete win- a successful prank. But the way Marinette’s mouth hung open, the look of shock on her face completely consuming her, made him feel the opposite of win. “Chat! Did I not say the last thing anyone needed was to forget their clothing?” His flirting was driving her  _ crazy!  _ Each time she had any kind of thought about him, her mind drew back to Adrien and her embarrassment and anger only grew. She  _ couldn’t  _ think of Chat that way. 

But the more she looked at him, the more her negative feelings faded. She burst out into laughter, nearly doubling over. He looked  _ ridiculous.  _ Standing there in nothing but his underwear with a pillowcase with two mismatched holes cut into it. As Marinette began to laugh, Adrien began to laugh as well, both falling onto the bed and nearly bringing themselves to tears. “I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable.” 

“It’s not that, Chat, I’m just in love with someone else and I’m almost certain he’ll never love me back.” Even that was enough for a sharp pang of hurt. Adrien didn’t want to think about who Marinette could love. He didn’t even want to ask, out of fear. Adrien wanted it to be him, of course, and he was a lot more courageous behind a mask, but he just couldn’t bring himself to inquire more about Marinette’s crush. “The way he looked at me when he found out I was Ladybug…”

“It must’ve been awful for you to think he doesn’t love you.”

“I think he might actually hate me, Chat. You didn’t see his expression. It was fear and disgust. He couldn’t even form words. I blew that.” She sighed, lying down on the bed. Chat followed suit. Even though he was scantily clad, Marinette’s attention was elsewhere. He stared at her face, wishing he could just reach out and touch her. It was strange to say that he thought it was inappropriate, considering the situation they were in right now. “I’m going to visit him tomorrow and find out the truth. I guess there’s a few people that I have to tell I’m okay.” 

Adrien thought he would be one of them. He knew Marinette considered him a friend, but he’d have to follow her- he wanted to know. If that guy loved her back--- all of his chances with her would be over. 

  
  



	6. Cataclysm

It was the middle of the night when Adrien woke up to the feeling of weight on his chest. He glanced down, his face flushing red as he saw Marinette. Her head was on his chest and she was sleeping soundly, wrapping herself around his warmth. He didn’t think they’d go this far, even if he wanted to! Again, her soft, pink lips beckoned to him. They were so close to his own. If he could take off the pillowcase… no! He couldn’t think like that! 

He tried to shake off the feeling, but all that he could think about was kissing Marinette. He knew he shouldn’t. He  _ knew  _ he surely wasn’t supposed to without her knowing about it. He just couldn’t bear to think about tomorrow, about how someone else might accept her feelings before he even had a chance. It scared him, enough so that he felt like he couldn’t bear not kissing her. He knew he had before, multiple times, most of them on accident or something he had no memory of. Those moments were locked in pictures. He even had one of them as his lock-screen. 

He wanted to kiss her. All of his thoughts focused entirely on Marinette; how she’d never know. How, although he shouldn’t, he wanted to, so desperately. And right now, he didn’t care so much about getting her permission as he did just having  _ one  _ innocent memory of them kissing. For once, he could appreciate her right in front of him. As he removed the pillowcase, he gently moved Marinette off of his chest, sitting up and placing his hands on either side of her head. 

He leaned in. Her breath was so  _ hot.  _ It was driving him crazy. He was nearly overtaken by his guilt for his reasons for bringing her here. Sure, keeping her safe was one of them, but he wanted more than anything else to get her to love him. But if he couldn’t, then he’d remember this night- the night they slept together. 

And the night that he had his first aware kiss. 

He leaned down, pressing his lips against hers. His heart raced painfully fast, hammering away in his chest. He knew it was wrong, even as he stroked her hair, but he just couldn’t  _ help  _ it. Chat Noir had always been a gentleman, but maybe that was just him on the surface. Sure, if it wasn’t like the way it was now, he’d have asked for permission- but he felt he had no other choice. If he lost her tomorrow, could he handle it? Could he sit there and smile, even knowing she was in someone else’s arms? Probably not. 

He laid back down, watching her sleep. The way she breathed was comforting. He could do this every night for the rest of his life. He  _ wanted  _ to. Staying optimistic, he reassured himself; he and Marinette  _ would  _ be in love by the end of this. There was no other way this could end, other than with a happy ending. Her parents would be back, maybe Hawkmoth would be defeated, and she and he would date. All of the stress of Hawkmoth would be gone. Then… she’d finally let him tell her who he really was, and… she’d love and accept him as Adrien Agreste. He didn’t  _ like  _ the Adrien part of him, so he doubted Marinette would… but there was no harm in trying. He slid the pillowcase back over his head and draped an arm over the girl’s body, embracing her- keeping her safe in his grip. 

**~ **

By the time Marinette had woken up, Chat Noir was gone, undoubtedly on some kind of business. He had said he wouldn’t be able to stick around during the day, but he’d be here at night. Maybe she could balance being at Kagami’s during the day and at Chat’s during the night? Ugh, it was stupid of her to think this was ever a good idea. 

As she got out of bed and got ready, feeding Tikki with some of the food in the kitchen, she realized Chat must keep this place pretty stocked up. She wondered how he got the place, and how he got the money for so much food. It looked like it had all been bought just a few days ago. Still, Marinette got to baking, and before she knew it- she had a new set of macaroons to feed Tikki, who happily gulped a few down. “All right, Marinette! We have a busy day ahead of us!”

Marinette realized that although there were akumas out there, the city was eerily quiet. Peeking out from behind the balcony’s curtains, she saw people simply going about their business, quick to step around the damage. Hawkmoth must be waiting for Ladybug to show up; it had been a while. “There’s some stuff I have to do first, Tikki. People need to know I’m okay.”

“Are you sure that’s the best idea, Marinette?”

“Not really, but it’s the only one I’ve got.” Tikki looked downcast for a moment but nodded. If Marinette wanted it, then it had to be the right path to take. “Alright, Tikki! Spots on!” That same magic, shooting through her veins, enveloping her heart in a loving caress- the transformation was always intoxicating. The feeling of being okay, like a warm blanket being wrapped around her shoulders as she sat on a couch, her mother and father on either side of her, cuddling as they watched a movie flooded her senses. Although she had fully transformed and she knew that the transformation only drew on what made her feel the happiest, she held back a choked sob. 

It hurt. Those feelings hurt because she wanted them more than anything else, but she couldn’t let her pain consume her. If she was akumatized, her chances of getting her parents back were over. She held that feeling in her heart, though, the feeling of closeness and warmth-- she would never let that go. Even if she felt like she couldn’t do anything, she had to keep those memories in her heart. 

Marinette took a deep breath, sliding open the balcony door, winding back her arm and throwing her Yoyo. It was time to see what she could do. 

**~**  
  


Adrien stood in his room, staring at his phone. He wondered if Marinette would call him as he was now, or actually show up. He was actually surprised when his bugaboo came in through the window. He stared, awestruck. The way she strode toward him, the look on her face. “Tikki, spots off.” 

Before him stood Marinette. And he was  _ Adrien.  _ Secret identity to secret identity. He was a little jealous of Chat Noir for being able to so freely interact with Ladybug, but he couldn’t be like Chat right now. If he even gave away a slight hint as to who he was, Hawkmoth could find out. “M-Marinette,” He stuttered. 

“Adrien, I’m Ladybug.” It was an obvious statement, something he already knew. She was staring at him with a sad intensity and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her. 

_ I’m sorry, milady. Please, forgive me in the future.  _

“You have to leave, Marinette! I’m in danger when you’re here!” He backed away from her. He wanted to get closer. He wanted to hug her, and kiss her, and tell her it was okay. “I’m sorry, but you  _ have  _ to go.” 

Marinette turned away from him, her face darkening. “Don’t worry. I understand.” And she did. She knew that he didn’t love her, for sure now. She’d lost her parents, but she also lost Adrien’s friendship as well. Maybe she shouldn’t have counted on him to comfort her, but she understood now- nobody would want to be associated with her now that she had a target on her back. “Tikki, spots on.”

And like that, she was gone. “You had the girl who you say you love in front of you and you tell her to  _ leave? _ ” Plagg sounded astounded. “First of all, I’m not happy about you using the transformation to hang out with Marinette- you had her  _ right where you wanted her, and you told her to leave! _ ”

“If Hawkmoth knows both of our identities, it would be harder to get her parents back. If we’re both on the run, there’s no time for anything other than running. At least like this, I can protect her  _ and  _ my secret identity.” 

“And now you’re going to go after her as Chat Noir, aren’t you?” Plagg drawled. “Jeez, it’s like you  _ don’t  _ want her to love the guy behind the mask.” Adrien gave Plagg a glare but sighed in defeat. “Plagg, claws out. We  _ have  _ to go after her.” 

**~**

Tears rolled off of her cheeks, like little droplets of rain as she raced across Paris. People looked up, trying to catch where the drizzle was coming from, but Ladybug was so fast that they couldn’t catch her before she was gone. She wiped away her tears with her arm as she tried to put it out of her mind. She’d been trying for so long, trying  _ so  _ hard to get Adrien to notice her that she really didn’t think about the truth. 

She wondered what hurt more- the fact he didn’t want her there, or that he couldn’t accept it was  _ her  _ behind the mask- that he still couldn’t love her, whether she was Ladybug or Marinette. Even as another person, she had failed- not that she was trying to seduce him as Ladybug.

Sometimes, she guessed, it just turns out that way. Sometimes, you can’t fix or change these things. People will love who they love. Adrien just didn’t love  _ her.  _

She dropped to the ground, trying to stop herself from crying when a familiar voice caused her to turn. “Marinette?” 

“L-Luka?”

The boy rushed over to her, giving her a huge hug. “Marinette! Are you alright?! I saw the news…!” 

“Luka…” Although she didn’t really  _ understand  _ what was happening, she hugged him back. She needed this. She wanted to cry, sob, be happy in the embrace of someone who cared about her. Someone who wasn’t Adrien. “Luka, I’m so sick of it! I’m sick of this, I want it all to be over! I feel so hurt, and I just want… to be loved! I want my parents back! I want to be loved by the person I love!” 

“Marinette… I’ll always be here to give you love, whenever you need it.” He angled her chin upward, wiping away her tears. “Don’t ever be afraid to come to me. I’ll always accept you in your time of need, because I-”

“Cataclysm.” 

“Luka?” Marinette’s eyes widened as black rushed across his frame, cracks running through his body. “Luka!”

“Mari...nette…”

And like that, Luka burst into ashes, floating away in the wind… leaving nothing but a horrified, sobbing Marinette in his wake. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... that's the third death... oof.  
Join the discord!  
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	7. i beg you, please love me

Seeing someone you cared about reduced to ashes and being unable to do anything about it would be something Marinette would be traumatized about for the rest of her life. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, even as Chat Noir, a little more covered in white than he usually was, walked up to her. He stared down at her, kneeling as he reached her eye level. He reached out to her, plucking each earring from her ears. As she detransformed, she realized---

There was  _ nothing  _ she could do. Even looking in Chat Noir’s eyes wouldn’t comfort her now. They were strangely alien, and Marinette realized- he was akumatized. “I just want you to love me, Marinette.” His voice was soft, gentle, despite what he’d just done to Luka. As she backed away, unable to form words, he crawled towards her on all fours, his intense gaze getting more uncomfortable. He wouldn’t take his eyes away from her. “I’m not going to give Hawkmoth what he wants. I don’t care. I don’t care if he screams at me or orders to do something, I hate him for what he’s done to you. But… I cant give you the opportunity to run away from me before you love me back, you know? I just want to protect you, Marinette, that’s all.” 

She tried to fight against him as he took her into his arms, in what anyone would perceive as a romantic hold. “Y-You can protect me by letting me go! Let me purify your akuma! Be the  _ real  _ Chat!” 

“I  _ am  _ the real Chat!” He hissed. “Even if you want to ignore it, you know I have feelings for you! I’m sick of them not being returned! I’m sick of always being the second choice! I want you to love me, so when you do, I’ll give you back your earrings and we can save Paris as we already  _ should-  _ together! No other guys! No other  _ distractions! _ ” 

“What do you  _ mean?! _ ”

“I saw you embrace the guy you love! Marinette,  _ I  _ love you! You shouldn’t be confessing to other guys when your purrfect partner is right here, always by your side, waiting!” Tears formed in his eyes, and it was then that Marinette realized just how hurt Chat had been by her constant rejection. She wasn’t any better than Adrien, at this point- but it wasn’t  _ Adrien’s  _ fault that he didn’t love her. “I just want you to see me, Marinette! I want you to see me for  _ me!  _ I want you to love me for me! Please, Marinette… I beg you! Please love me!” 

Chat’s sadness nearly broke her heart. He sounded so pitiful. She reached up, gently caressing his cheek. “I don’t know if I can love you if you don’t give me the chance to try, Chat.”

In his eyes, a spark of anger grew. “You don’t know if you can love me because you’ve never  _ given  _ me a chance!  _ Every  _ time, every time I ever try, you’ve always just put me on the backburner! Don’t talk like you’ve been trying!” 

“Marinette!” Chat’s head shot up, anger broiling within him. Kagami stood a few feet away.

“Someone trying to stand in between us  _ again?! _ ”

“Kagami, run! It’s too dangerous!” 

Kagami brandished a blade. A true, real blade- albeit blunt. The second she had heard of a news report of Ladybug in the area, she rushed to help her friend- finding her missing after waking up for her usual six A.M. routine just served to make Kagami run all over the city looking for her. “Don’t worry, Marinette. I’m well-trained. I won’t hurt Chat, but I need to find his akuma!” 

“It should be in his ring!”

“ _ Marinette. _ ” Chat’s voice was livid. He glared at her, his anger mixed with hurt. “You’re betraying me  _ again?  _ For  _ her?  _ I’m going to punish you when we get home…” She wasn’t so sure she wanted to find out what his punishment would be. 

“Kagami…” It was humiliating for a superhero like her to be so helpless against their own partner. If there was anyone she could trust to assist, it would be Kagami. “Please help me-” 

She was cut off by something she hadn’t been expecting. Chat’s lips were on hers, forcefully, making her go quiet. He put her down, still kissing her- Kagami looked away, her cheeks flushing as she felt second-hand embarrassment from the kiss being so public- but Chat Noir’s face was soft, even though his actions were anything but. “Be safe, milady. I’ll take care of this, and then no one will ever come between us again.” She could feel the  _ sincerity  _ in his voice. It scared her, but inspired her at the same time- to think someone could love her so deeply, they’d become akumatized over it…

But her awe turned to terror when Chat Noir brandished his claws. “Cataclysm!” She reached for Chat, but he was much faster than her. His tail slipped from her grip as he charged toward Kagami, who managed to barrel roll out of the way. He was fast, but Kagami was disciplined. She skirted around him, avoiding his touches, keeping her blade just out of reach- until Chat’s claw grazed against the metal, turning the weapon to nothing. By that time, he was so close that Kagami could grab onto his hand- what he realized before it was  _ much  _ too late- and began to pull the ring from his finger. 

Fate had other plans. 

**~**

Chat Noir had chased Marinette, as fast as he possibly could. When he saw her embracing Luka, such unbearable  _ rage  _ bubbled forth, consuming him whole to the point where he couldn’t think straight anymore. His claws would curl inward, and he imagined himself using cataclysm for a darker purpose.

That was when the akuma began to float around him. He couldn’t calm himself, but he didn’t want to move away either. He raised his hand to catch the butterfly, allowing it to perch on his ring. He watched as it was absorbed into it, and he felt, suddenly, so much  _ more.  _ All of the emotions he had been withholding, everything he hadn’t been acknowledging, was suddenly that much bigger of a deal. “Betrayed by the girl you love! Chat Noir, you can get  _ revenge-  _ and I’ll give you the courage you need to do it.” 

“Oh, Hawkmoth… You’ve got my feelings all wrong.” 

“What…?!”

“Betrayed, yes. But I can forgive milady for  _ anything.  _ And you just gave me the tools I need to make her  _ really  _ love me. If you think I’m going to give you her miraculous, think again!  _ Nobody  _ will touch anything that has been  _ looked  _ at, even, by Ladybug  _ ever again! _ ” White began to consume the black, as if it was erasing all of the darkness from his suit.

“I gave you your abilities, boy, don’t think I can’t take them away from you!”

“I’d like to see you  _ try,  _ Hawkmoth.” Chat sported a sinister grin as he opened his hand, jumping down from the vantage point he had been watching them from. He’d get that ugly distraction’s hands off of  _ his  _ Marinette. “ _ Cataclysm!”  _

“I’ve lost control, damn it!” Hawkmoth didn’t know what to do. He didn’t have many options. “Ripper!” The boy, who had been sipping soda in the corner while plucking the wings from some of his butterflies, perked up. 

“Yes, Hawkmoth?” 

“Retrieve Chat Noir’s akuma! I don’t care if you have to kill him to do it! Just get it back!” 

Jack stood up, brushing a hand through his hair as he uncorked the bottle. His akuma floated around him, but he snatched it out of the air and guided it toward his knife. The ensuing transformation was terrifying to Hawkmoth; he’d never seen anyone use an akuma like this before. The mask on his face looked like dripping blood covering his eyes, his skin turning pitch black. He stood, shirtless, nothing but what looked like a see-through ribcage with a painted anatomically correct heart on his chest. His knife grew sharper, more ridged- rough around the edges. “I’m at your mercy, Hawkmoth. Of course I’ll go.” His eyes were like red lights surrounded by darkness. He turned to black smoke, and like that, he was gone. 

**~**

As Kagami pulled the ring from Chat’s finger, Marinette saw the black smoke. She wasn’t fast enough to call out to Kagami- she watched as the person who had formed from mist stabbed her, his hand snaking around to Chat’s ring. He seemed to put a significant amount of pressure on it, enough so that it would lightly crack- enough for the akuma to float out. It was immediately caught by the akumatized person who had shown up. He laughed, twisting the knife deeply into Kagami. She fell to the ground and Marinette rushed toward her, but the bloodied knife was then pointed in her direction. Chat’s white faded from his suit, the black, half-cracked ring remaining. He was himself again, and he realized that while looking directly at Ripper. 

Chat jumped away just before the psycho slashed at him. He dashed toward Marinette, scooping her up and choosing to run rather than stay. “Kagami!” Marinette cried out to the girl, who reached back to her. “Chat, we  _ have  _ to save her!” He looked back, but Ripper was standing over Kagami and Chat rightfully felt a burst of terror. 

“We can’t.”

“What do you  _ mean, _ we can’t!? We’re superheroes, it’s what we do!” 

“Because… that guy isn’t joking around, Marinette. He’d kill  _ both  _ of us. Haven’t you stopped to think about how that would feel, losing you?!” Chat was beginning to realize how in over their head both of them were. Kagami was his  _ friend.  _ He didn’t want to leave her behind, but he would. If it meant Marinette would still be alive, he’d abandon anyone. He didn’t know what scared him more, the fact he’d let someone else die for the person he loved, or that he wasn’t as much of a hero as he thought he’d been. 

“Chat, we have to go back…!” Marinette was sobbing, struggling against his strength, but she couldn’t do anything without her miraculous. Kagami was long gone by now, Adrien was sure of it. “She was only there because she was worried about me…! She put herself in danger because of me!” 

Chat remained silent, through all of Marinette’s protesting. The second they got onto the balcony, he locked every door he could find even though Marinette tried to stop him.

“Give me my miraculous back! Chat, give it back!” 

“Not until you’re no longer in danger!” 

“Are you  _ still  _ akumatized?! Don’t you hear me? Give it back! I want to speak to my Kwami! I want to save Kagami! We have to get Luka back!” 

“Kagami is  _ gone! _ ” He shouted. He still felt stung on the inside from seeing Luka and Marinette together. Marinette went quiet, backing away from him, her face pale. “Kagami and Luka are gone, Marinette. That guy took the akuma. They’re not coming back.”

“No…” Marinette held herself, shaking as she realized the weight of their situation. It was  _ just  _ like her parents. And Chat… he wasn’t going to give her miraculous back. All of her power, gone, just like  _ that.  _ How was she supposed to help anyone like this? Nothing… if there was nothing she could do, then…. “If this is the way it is, then I  _ hate  _ you, Chat.” 

Chat Noir stared at her, dumbfounded. 

“I will  _ never  _ love you. I don’t care who you are under that mask. You could be Adrien Agreste, for all I care! I’d still hope you’d die in place of Luka, you murderer!” She screamed, before turning on her heel and rushing into the bedroom, locking the door behind her. 

All Chat could do was stare at the spot Marinette had been in. Tears welled in his eyes as his heart shattered to tiny pieces he wasn’t so sure he’d be able to pick up. He walked over to the bedroom door, and, with his back to it, slid down it, remaining silent. He could hear her sobs on the other side of the door. 

Didn’t she realize he was keeping her here to protect her? What was so  _ wrong  _ about that? Even if it was hard, it was better for her than dying, right? 

His head hung low as he dropped his face into his hands. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wished that he’d never found out. He wished he could tell her who he was. But, like she had said- it didn’t matter if he was even  _ Adrien Agreste.  _

She hated him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To understand, Adrien has basically been raised in captivity because his father is overprotective. Adrien doesn't realize what he's doing to Marinette is essentially exactly what his father's been doing to him.  
Marinette's outburst comes from a hurt, damaged place after seeing two of her friends killed within five minutes by different means and being absolutely powerless to save either of them.  
Just in case people thought it was OOC, i think it's pretty IC.


	8. Don't Go

The murder was hard to get out of his mind. Chat Noir could feel himself  _ changing.  _ He kept running the events of today through his mind, over and over- each part of what made him do what he did. It wasn’t  _ just  _ that he’d been akumatized- he had submitted to the akuma. He  _ wanted  _ Luka dead before he even touched the butterfly. This wasn’t like him! He wanted to believe it had been the akuma controlling him, but he knew the truth and it would haunt him. 

An akuma just gave you the courage to fulfill your darkest desires. Just because you were akumatized didn’t mean that it wasn’t your actions, your wishes, controlling you. He looked down at his hands, realizing he had detransformed hours ago. Plagg was quiet, not wanting to speak to his chosen; not because he didn’t want to, but of a lack of things to say. It wasn’t like previous owners of the Cat Miraculous hadn’t abused the power before. Some had even killed people, without the help of an akuma. Considering what Adrien did wasn’t  _ as  _ bad as what others have done, especially because it could be reversed thanks to the akuma, Plagg wasn’t  _ as  _ angry or upset. 

But that didn’t change the way Adrien would feel after all of this. Tikki would probably tell him that he was being way too nonchalant about the abuse of his cataclysm, but he just understood the innate desire for destruction humans had in a way Tikki never could. His sugar cube was quite literally the essence of hope, love, luck, and creation- she just didn’t understand that people were  _ bound  _ to be people. She had an optimistic, but strict outlook. She could forgive little mistakes, but something like this would definitely have her seething… If Adrien didn’t have Tikki’s miraculous. Being bound to jewelery, although sometimes nice, could be trying at times- like consensual slavery with moments where a miraculous may not agree. 

In the bedroom, Marinette had cried all the tears her body could handle. She wondered why she hadn’t been akumatized by all of this. With her parents, she had Tikki. Then she had Kagami, then Chat Noir, then Luka. 

But they’d all been taken away from her. 

God, if there was ever a moment to wish she was akumatized, maybe now was it. But Hawkmoth probably wouldn’t akumatize her after Chat Noir broke all of Hawkmoth’s rules. Just another thing Chat destroyed… so she had no excuse for anything she wanted to say to Chat, she didn’t have any mask to hide behind any longer. Not even an akuma could help her now. Marinette just wanted her earrings back- she wanted Tikki back, but she didn’t want to speak to Chat.

“Marinette?” His voice echoed through the apartment as Adrien placed his head against the door, closing his eyes, inhaling when she didn’t respond. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to kill anyone. I don’t know why I remember why I was akumatized, or what happened during it. I don’t know  _ why  _ it didn’t wipe my memory, but I’m sorry.” He held back his tears, his voice quivering as there was nothing but silence in response.

“Marinette, please open the door. I need you.” He tried again. Plagg wasn’t enough to comfort him. He wanted  _ her  _ to apologize, to tell him what she said wasn’t true, to tell him it was all okay. 

“Give me back my miraculous.” Her voice was cold. He winced, having expected that- murder wasn’t easily forgiven. “Give me back my miraculous and I’ll say what I have to say and leave.” 

“Please don’t leave.” He whispered.

On the other side, Marinette sat against the door, trying her best to hold herself together. Part of her wanted to  _ forgive  _ Chat. Being akumatized, she knew nothing about what it was like. She wanted to apologize for what she said, because it was wrong. Wishing he’d die in place of Luka? She didn’t want  _ anybody  _ to die, even though Chat had done something unthinkable. “Please, Chat, just give me my miraculous back. Don’t be my enemy.” Her forehead hit the door, a small thunk. “I don’t want you to be my enemy…” 

“I’m not trying to, milady. I just… don’t want to  _ lose  _ you.” 

“The more you try to stop me, the more you lose me.” 

“I was akumatized because you told Luka about your feelings, and he accepted you.” He had no idea what pushed him to say such a thing at the time, but he couldn’t stop. “Milady, you have  _ no idea  _ how much I wished to confess to you. You have no idea how much it  _ hurts  _ to have done what I did,” He was talking about turning her away as Adrien Agreste when she was just looking for a friend to rely on. “But I just…”

“Luka isn’t the person I love, Chat! The person I  _ love _ rejected me!” 

“What?” Who had she confessed to, and why had Luka embraced her like he was her lover? “But you two were hugging. It looked like he was going to kiss you.” 

“My parents are dead, Chat. My identity has been found out. I’d been rejected by the person I am head over heels for. I think I needed a hug.” 

“Who do you love, Marinette?” He felt anger rising inside him.  _ How  _ could that person reject such a wonderful girl, hurt her enough that she had to run to another person for comfort? Someone, anyone who would just give her affection-- and he  _ killed  _ that person. He killed that comfort, out of jealousy. 

“I don’t want to tell you.” He supposed she wouldn’t. With what he did to Luka, she’d never trust him with that information. “Even though he wouldn’t let me speak, even though he kicked me out the second he saw me, I still love him.” 

_ Wait.  _

It took him a moment to connect the dots. There wouldn’t have been enough time for Marinette to visit someone else unless she did it  _ before  _ she came to see his secret identity. He was almost positive  _ nobody  _ would have the same reaction as he did, because Marinette was surrounded by people who love her- like Luka. Like Kagami. People who would never turn her away, no matter what. And Alya... He didn’t think Marinette ever went to see Alya. Still, it was a shot in the dark, and he had to know. “Is it… Adrien Agreste?” 

The silence was only filled by the sound of his heart pounding against his ribcage, or what felt like it, anyways. Each pang was a painful, fast mixture of hope and horror as her answer felt like it took an eternity for Marinette to answer. “Please don’t kill him, Chat, please. I don’t think I can take it.” 

How  _ blind  _ had Adrien been to Marinette? How overly ignorant, how much did he  _ overlook  _ her?! He was beginning to hate his other side, having ignored anyone in his heart other than Ladybug when Ladybug had been right in front of him all along. He hated himself. If he could punch himself, maybe he would. “I’ll be back, Marinette. I’ll give you back your miraculous, but please just trust me.” He had to fix the damage he’d done. If he approached her as Adrien, it would just get worse. Right now, Ladybug didn’t need Chat Noir. She needed someone else.

“Chat, wait!” Marinette tried to unlock the bedroom door, but it was a pop-in lock- and that’s when she saw it, the light-up screen on the wall with a fingerprint scanner. It read,  **[LOCKED]** . 

Chat Noir had been sitting outside of that room with the ability to get inside the entire time, not just with the fingerprint scanner, but also his Cataclysm. Just  _ who  _ was he to have such an expensive security system in place here? She feared for Adrien’s safety, but there were no windows and whatever vents there  _ were  _ could only be traversed by someone as small as Tikki- which she didn’t have with her at the moment. 

Defeated, Marinette sat on the bed, praying for Adrien.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i woke up at 6am to write this chapter and now i am going back to bed god i'm so tired but i have a 9-hour work day ahead of me someone please save me /cries  
Speaking of which, we're closer to the end now! Four more chapters left~  
I think I'll wrap this up nicely before the two-week enddate, and make more fics like this for this fandom over a span of every-two-weeks. Wonder if people would read them!  
I hope you're enjoying it so far!


	9. Apology

Chat Noir had considered taking a walk to pass the time. He supposed it wouldn’t be so bad, but the time was almost up and he’d have to get back to Marinette. “Plagg, Claws In.” He could feel the magic being pulled from his body as his Kwami was expelled; Plagg stared at him, frowning. “I know, I probably shouldn’t…”

“It’s not that, kid. I’ve been silent for a bit now because I didn’t know what to say… but are you okay? Not everyone intends to abuse my power. And I can’t say being akumatized felt good for me…” Adrien knew that Plagg wasn’t mad at him, just concerned with his emotional and mental wellbeing. “But you  _ need  _ to give Ladybug back her Miraculous, or my sugarcube will probably beat you up. And me, because guilt by association.” 

Adrien knew that it would probably go in that direction. He took the earrings out of his shirt pocket, examining them. He would give them back, just not as Chat Noir. He knew that it would have to be someone Marinette trusted, and if that was Adrien Agreste, then that was who he would be. He’d have to be convincing, though. “M-Marinette? Chat Noir said you needed me.” He could hear Marinette’s squeal from behind the door. He’d like to believe it was one of surprise. 

“A-Adrien? What… W-what are… is you, here doing?” She didn’t have enough time to collect herself and keep the surprise in her voice from leaking out. All Adrien saw was that all along, the stutter hadn’t been a personality trait- it was a hint, of Marinette’s feelings for him. Her inability to keep composed around him. He found it kind of cute, actually. 

“Well, Chat Noir told me to tell you that this is his apology, and that you’d know what he meant. He says he went too far, and wants to apologize for what he’s done. He should have never taken away your Miraculous and he wants to make things right, but he’s too embarassed to face you as who he is.” Marinette was half unsure of what to do, half wanting to forgive Chat, and half astounded and angered he’d get Adrien involved! Wait, that was too many halves--

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the click of the door as it opened. Before her stood Adrien, offering a hand to her to try and help her off of the ground. She took it, staring into his  _ dreamy  _ eyes. “But wait, you kicked me out last time-” 

“I was afraid. I never should’ve done that to you. Chat Noir said you have something to admit to me, though, so I’m here. Because you need  _ me. _ ” 

Marinette didn’t know what to say. In fact, Adrien Agreste was right here, right now, probably talking about her admitting her feelings. Her face flushed a bright red, redder than a tomato. “I, um, I---”

Adrien shook his head. “Listen, Marinette, I know. I know that you’re in love with me.” 

“Wuuh…?”

“I know you deny it every time I get close to finding out. I know I’ve told you you’re just a friend, but you’re  _ so much more.  _ I… I love you too.” Here Adrien was, confessing to  _ her,  _ of all people. She had imagined this moment in her head, over and over, but something felt  _ off.  _ Like… not all of his heart was there. Or just maybe… part of her heart belonged to someone else. She shook her head viciously, trying to get that astounding thought out of her mind.  **No. ** Not Chat Noir! He wouldn’t pop up in her head at such an important moment like this! “Is… there something wrong, Marinette?”

Adrien was half worried that she’d realized that he used his fingerprint to open the door from the other side. “Adrien… I love you too!” Was it just him, or did she not sound as  _ enthusastic  _ about her love for him as she did before? Still, he embraced her. 

“I want to take it slow, Marinette.” He said. “I want you to feel comfortable before we kiss, even. I want everything to be on  _ your  _ terms.” He wanted to do this right. He wanted to be a  _ true  _ gentleman. What he’d done before was wrong, and he wouldn’t use her trust to get as far with her as he tried to with Chat Noir.

“Thank you, Adrien.” She gently kissed him on the cheek, but her expression seemed…  _ sad.  _ He didn’t think it would be in good taste to ask about it, so he simply held out his hand, offering her what she wanted. “My miraculous!” She grabbed it, before hugging him. She put on the earrings, only for her little red friend to pop out of thin air. 

“Marinette! I missed you so much!” 

“Tikki!” 

She hugged her little bug, so glad to see her again. “I’ve got one more message for you from Chat Noir. He says that you should go to the place where it all began, so you can get your friends and parents back.” He tried to avoid Tikki’s glare, which was getting more angry by the minute. She was silent, though, and he was thankful for that.

“The place where it all began?” The stadium where they fought their first akuma. She’d never forget how she met Chat Noir. It almost put a smile on her face. “Got it! Be safe, Adrien.” 

“I will, Mi-Marinette.” Marinette stopped, and for a second Adrien thought the cat was out of the bag, but she simply nodded. “Good luck, Ladybug!” 

“Thanks! Tikki, Spots On!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're approaching our ending... but is it the [Good] Ending, or [Bad] Ending?


	10. Hateful Scream

Ladybug dropped into the stadium, glancing around. Adrien was safe, which was good- they’d have to go back to get him out of the apartment after all of this was over. Still, there was no sign of Chat Noir, until a few minutes later, when he dropped in- quite literally. “Hey, Ladybug.”

“Chat, I still haven’t forgiven you, but you’ve taken a step in the right direction giving me back my miraculous and trying to help me. So… I don’t mind still being your partner, but if you want to be my friend again, you have to earn it!”

“I’ll do anything, Ladybug. You’re more important to me than trying to damage our friendship is. I’m sorry things went so far, honestly, but I have a plan to get your friends back  _ and  _ your parents!” He gave her a smile and she felt comfort, but shook it off- this was what was  _ missing  _ whenever she looked at Adrien, and that made her more uncomfortable than the comfort Chat Noir could provide. She’d been in love with Adrien for what felt like  _ forever.  _ She knew some crushes were meant to come and go, but this one… it had to be forever, right? That’s what love was. That’s what her parent’s love was. 

“All right, kitty. Tell me what we’re going to do!” 

“I’ve already done it! We should be expecting company in…” People began to flood the seats in the stadium, a few news teams littered around the field, all of them separately reporting about how Chat dropped in and demanded reporters follow him. “Around now, I suppose.”

“Kitty, what is this supposed to do?”

“Get Hawkmoth’s attention! We can’t do anything if Ripper doesn’t come get us.” She wondered how Chat Noir has changed from afraid of the Ripper, to wanting to go against him. The boy gave her a shining smile, and she swore she could see the fear in his eyes, but he didn’t give it away, even if he was shaking. She gently placed a hand on his arm and he almost jumped in surprise. She laughed. 

“Don’t worry, Chat, I’ll have your back.”

“And I’ll protect you, no matter what, Milady.” 

She believed him. It wasn’t too long before the crowd watching went silent, the man that everyone was waiting for walking through the field, quietly, with nothing but a smile on his face. “So you brought some spectators. All right, I’ll let them live and chase them all down one by  _ one, later.” _ The way he said it, full of malice and bad intent, caused shivers to run down the heroes’ spines. 

Ripper launched himself at them, only for Ladybug to throw her Yoyo, wrapping the thread around his knife as she tried to swing him around. Chat was at the ready to hit him with his baton, but Ripper turned to that same black mist, simply passing by Chat as if he wasn’t even there. Even though Chat tried to swing, there was nothing to hit- but the mist rushed toward Ladybug. Chat chased it, grabbing for the mist, but it was impossible- he stumbled toward Ladybug, his arms wrapping around her and before she could even realize what was happening. She heard Chat’s pained cry, felt something slick on his back as she tried her best to hold him up. “My lady… I’ve always believed in you. Defeat would never keep you down for long. So I… I’d give up anything, even my life, to protect you. I’m scared. I’m so scared, but I’m… scared of losing you more.” She could feel him slip from her grasp, the knife sticking out of his back, blood running down the suit- but it was supposed to  _ protect him!  _ This shouldn’t be possible, and oh god, Chat was there, Chat was  _ bleeding _ . 

He slid down, his cheek resting against her thigh, light fading from his eyes as a burst of light surrounded him. The first thing she saw was the Kwami, thrown from his owner, turn to dust. A larger crack ran through Chat’s ring as it faded to gray, a state of infinite hibernation… and she saw, finally, for the first time,  _ who  _ was behind the mask. “A...Adrien?” 

But it wasn’t Adrien anymore. He had ceased breathing, his eyes nothing more than lifeless, not holding any of the previous joy he’d had before. There wasn’t a cat pun. There wasn’t even a word from him. Ladybug’s breathing grew rapid, and she knew---

That Adrien was dead. 

And she screamed, a feral, pained scream, full of anger and rage and sadness, but also purpose. More bitter  _ hate  _ filled her entire being than she had ever known in her entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouch.


	11. We Are All Unlucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Climax.

Hawkmoth hadn’t expected that. To see out of Ripper’s eyes, to see that the one behind the mask, his enemy all along, had been his son. He should’ve known. Adrien always seemed to disappear, not that he ever paid enough attention to see his son playing vigilante- but he felt like it was his  _ job  _ to know. A job that he had failed at. But seeing him there, following the path of his mother in ending up into a glass coffin next to her, rage  _ filled  _ him. All of this, and for what? Seeing his son  _ murdered _ and being unable to do anything about it?

Then it hit him. Ladybug’s absolute  _ ire.  _ The strongest dose of  _ hatred  _ he had ever felt, in his  _ lifetime.  _ It was as if her eyes had the power to kill; and he saw potential. “Go, my akuma! Akumatize her!” As the butterfly flapped off, he willed it to go faster, because if Ladybug died, then so did his hope. 

“Hahaha! Do you see your  _ face  _ right now? That’s a good face. It’s the kind Naomi made when looking at me once! But she saw the blood, and really kinda backed down.  _ That’s  _ what really made me happy- when she walked into my arms and begged to call an ambulance. Can you  _ imagine? I was over the moon!  _ And that was the  _ first  _ time I ever let my prey live. And then she  **betrayed me.” ** His face turned darker, rage filling his eyes as he chattered on like a friend coming over for tea. “She betrayed me and ran away to France! Her  _ best friend  _ paid for the ticket, tried to hide her- that  _ damn  _ Charlotte, I should’ve killed her when I had the chance!” 

“Shut  _ up! _ ” Ladybug’s tone was pointed, done with Ripper’s little villain monologue. “Is that all you do?! Talk?” 

“You know, for a superhero, you’re kind of rude.” 

How could he  _ kill  _ Chat with no goddamn remorse?! And sitll have the gall to laugh about it and tell a story like she  _ cared?  _ She wanted to hurt him. She wanted to  _ kill  _ him. There was nothing she wanted more than that. And like a sign from the gods, an akuma fluttered across the field- gently touching Ladybug’s earring. 

[ _ Ladybug, I am Hawkmoth. I am offering you the power to fend off Ripper-] _

“I don’t want it!” She shouted, trying to struggle against the influence of her feelings bearing down on her like a ship crashing against pointed rocks. “I’ll  _ never  _ give you mine, or Chat Noir’s miraculouses! I’ll find you and I’ll  _ kill you!  _ I’ll kill you for what you’ve done, Hawkmoth!” 

[ _ Listen to me, god damn it! That’s my son you’re standing over, I could care less about your miraculous right now! Keep your miraculouses, just keep Ripper busy until I get there! _ ]

She  _ knew  _ it was wrong, that she shouldn’t accept this. Something about it, however, seemed  _ right  _ to her. Hawkmoth himself, coming here? “Fine, Hawkmoth. I’ll fend off Ripper, no questions asked- but then I’ll do what I want with you when I’m done.” 

[ _ As you wish, Ladybug. Do  _ ** _not _ ** _ lose; hope will die with you. _ ]

Black consumed her, her negative emotions going haywire. Ripper watched as her red faded into black, her spots becoming a greyish white. “So Hawkmoth betrayed me… I’ll just have to kill him too!” He rushed toward Ladybug, but she simply sidestepped him. Despite his speed, it was as if she had simply moved from one spot to the other. Her eyes were closed as she bobbed and weaved as Ripper attempted to slice through her. “Damn it, what the hell?”

Her eyes opened, but they weren’t hers- they were consumed by black, with little red spots dotted throughout them as she caught his fist, once more sidestepping around his attempted stab.  _ “All of these expectations… all of this stress… helping people… only to see someone like you come along and ruin it all…”  _

The way her voice was presented caused Ripper to shake. Was this  _ fear?  _

_ “Being lied to… being exposed… being defeated… being grounded, being expelled, being second best, being compared to Lila…”  _ She was murmuring, but each word held a certain mysterious power to it. She let go of his hand, and he attempted to swing again, but she suddenly changed direction. As he followed her, he could feel himself trip, slamming face-down into the ground.  _ “Oh, I’m so unlucky…! More and more problems, every week… another akuma, more homework, another expectation… and Adrien… don’t you think  _ ** _everyone else _ ** _ deserves a taste of unluck, as well? Why should it be only me?”  _

The cameras of the reporters and people in the crowd began to short circuit. Shoes became untied, and as some people tried to leave, they tripped. Mass panic attacks were triggered, and suddenly, that which was nothing big became that much more of a deal. People sobbed for their heroes, hope a desolate future. 

_ “Well, Ripper? Don’t you want to be unlucky… just… like… me?”  _ Just what  _ was  _ this power…?! Rust crept over his knife like a plague. He grabbed the girl, pulling her closer and aiming his knife, plunging it- only for him to scream. His knife was sticking out of his hand. He grabbed his wrist, screaming in frustration. “ _ Ha…. ha ha… ha…”  _ Her expression terrified him more than her words. She was smiling as if she was a statue to be found in a church, a benevolent, gentle, warmth-emitting smile… but she was crying at the same time. Tears dripped from her eyes, which were doused in an expression of pain.  _ “Isn’t this what you deserve? Isn’t it all what you deserve, to suffer like me? I don’t mind sharing my suffering. I don’t mind at all.”  _

Ladybug had become a centric force for unluck with an amazingly large radius. No longer was her ability phenomenal luck, but the ability to make everyone else around her unlucky. Even if she was mediocre in dodging Ripper’s attacks, he’d never be able to hit her- there would always be something or someone in the way. 

The sound of wheels screeching to a halt commanded her attention. He was there, before her, Hawkmoth, with someone she didn’t recognize. A girl with darker skin. He was holding a gun to her head, gripping her tightly. Judging by the look on Ripper’s face, he knew the girl. “Ladybug, I’ve got it from here. Come back, my Akuma.” Although Ladybug could have given him trouble, it seemed like she was more than happy to renounce her Akuma as she fell to the ground, feeling that darkness pulled out of her, like the weight of her pain was removed from her shoulders. “Nooroo, darkwings fall.” Exposed before the world was Gabriel Agreste. He tightened his grip on the girl. “If you want this, you have to give Ladybug those akumas.” 

“Give her…  _ Agreste, do you know what you’re saying?! _ ” 

“I do.” 

“But these are… these are for… Naomi…” He stared, dejectedly, at the girl at gunpoint.

“Please, Jack, save me… Please! I’m sorry I ran. I made a mistake and I tried to find you, but..”

“Be quiet.” Hawkmoth’s hold over her grew tighter, and she yelped. 

“Don’t hurt her! Don’t do anything stupid! I’ll do what you ask…” He ripped his twine bottle from his neck, offering it to Ladybug, whom he glared at. Ladybug broke the bottle, only for him to transform back to the normal human that he was supposed to be, both Akuma flitting out- the freed and the one that had inhibited his knife- which had switched to the bottle when he decided it was of more worth. Ladybug realized that she hadn’t used her Lucky Charm yet. 

“Lucky Charm!” She called, the object forming out of nothing but a burst of light. It was a bell. To be more specific, the bell Chat Noir used. Her eyes softened, but she had more work to do. She swung her Yoyo, capturing both Akumas, only to open her compact and release them. They fluttered into the atmosphere, disappearing to places she hadn’t explored yet. “Bye bye, little butterflies.” She watched as Naomi ran across the field to embrace the serial killer. “Miraculous Ladybug!” She threw her charm up into the air and it rung as a blast filled Paris, repairing all of the damage done- her parents, Luka, Kagami- all of the things that had shorted out.

But she felt like one of the most important things it had repaired was right in front of her. Adrien began to stir, staggering to his feet, staring at Ladybug. “M-Marinette…? You did it?” There was so much she wanted to-

A gunshot rang through the air. 

“N-Naomi… you’re kidding, right?”

The dark-skinned girl held a glare that had rivalled Ladybug’s. “Are you  _ kidding?!  _ Did you ever really think I’d love you or stay quiet for long?! You’ve terrorized me for too long! You almost killed my  _ best  _ friend, and you’ve stalked me to fucking  _ Paris!  _ Hawkmoth gave me a way out. I just pulled the trigger.” And it was true, Naomi was holding the smoking gun. “Miraculous Ladybug won’t be bringing  _ you  _ back. Hawkmoth’s idea.” She brought up the pistol, only to crack it down on Jack’s skull. Tears flowed from his eyes as he dropped to the ground, trying to stop the bleeding. “I’m going back to Canada.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One, last chapter left....


	12. With Their Kiss, Time Stopped...

The events that happened next were hard for Marinette to keep up with. Both Gabriel Agreste and Adrien Agreste pulled her into their car, the squeal of the wheels all that was heard as they shot off toward the Agreste mansion. “They’re going to come for me. We have an hour at best, and I’ll have to explain everything before then. Maybe the talk would have come sooner if I knew Chat Noir and Ladybug were right under my nose, but Adrien, your mother is still alive. I desire the miraculouses you both hold because they can fulfil a single wish; I desire nothing more than for Emilie to come back to us, but I’m not going to sacrifice you to do it.” Even as they walked into the mansion, Marinette was surprised she was invited in the first place. She saw it in a whole new light... as Hawkmoth’s lair. She felt something touch her and jolted, before looking at the one who _ had _touched her- Adrien. No, Chat Noir. She flushed red, realizing he was holding her hand, and Adrien blushed as he shyly looked away. Even as Gabriel led them into the butterfly room, he told them that he’d need to borrow their miraculouses. “I’ll return them after I’m done. I promise.” 

Adrien looked at Marinette, then back at his father, before taking off his ring. Plagg hadn’t woken up yet, but the ring had been repaired- so Adrien assumed it was just Plagg being lazy. “Father, I’d do anything for mother. I’m not going to ask Marinette to give up her Miraculous, but I’d like to formally ask- Marinette, _ please _help us.” 

She didn’t know what to say. The way Adrien was looking at her, the implications of Hawkmoth’s wish, or the innocent woman dying in his basement- there was only _ one _thing she could do. “Take mine.”

“Marinette-” But Marinette had already taken off her earrings, and Tikki had disappeared. Marinette walked over to Gabriel Agreste, looking down at her earrings wistfully. 

“Don’t worry, Marinette. I’ll give you my miraculous as a show of good faith that I will return yours.” Gabriel unfastened his pin, placing it in Marinette’s hand. She stared at it, before giving Gabriel a smile. She trusted Adrien. She trusted his father, and she wanted to do what was right. She nodded.

“I’ll protect your miraculous while you’re gone!” 

“Very good. I’ll be back in a moment… with your mother, Adrien.” Adrien’s eyes lit up. She could see the hope within them, and it caused her to smile. As Gabriel Agreste descended, Marinette and Adrien were alone, with Marinette staring at a particiuarily interesting butterfly somewhere in the corner of the room, her face turning redder by the minute. 

“They’re… pretty when they’re not akumas, right?” Adrien tried. 

“I, um, yeah!” She spun around, a little bit too fast. “Gorgeous! Like you! I mean, uh-”

“Relax, Marinette. I know what you mean. You don’t have to be so fidgety around me anymore.” He stepped closer. She took one step forward as they stared into one another’s eyes. “I admit that I did wrong. I wasn’t the best to you. Even though I was jealous, I shouldn’t have cataclysmed Luka. I shouldn’t have taken your miraculous and I definitely _ shouldn’t _have locked you in a-” 

Marinette pressed a finger against his lips. “I understand, Adrien. I was really mad about it, but then you jumped in front of me and saved my life- and I realized how much you, as Chat Noir, loved me. And when I saw that you were Adrien, my regret and anger consumed me-- but not because of the things that you did, because _ I _ couldn’t protect _ you _.” She embraced him, trying to take the lead, not so sure how things should go- how should she ask him out?

“So… am I forgiven?” 

“Well, kitty, you’re definitely close to forgiven. Just don’t die again.” 

“Marinette…?” 

“Yeah?”

“Would you, um, mind going on a date with me? Something like the movies, or even on a gondola… I’d really like you to be my girlfriend, and I think my father would approve, too.” 

She had dreamed of this moment forever. What she didn’t know back then, however, was that Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste were the same person. She would’ve kicked herself earlier, maybe even yelled at a mirror a little bit- but he was in front of her, right here, right now. She leaned in, her eyes closed; as Adrien pressed his lips to hers, time stopped.

And this reality came to an end.

What Hawkmoth had done wouldn’t be fixed. There was no _ known _way to fix it, save for maybe a certain miraculous that could see into the future… The Jackal. 

Hawkmoth had altered the very fabric of reality with his wish….

As he had stepped onto the elevator and descended into Emilie’s chamber, he knew that lying to the children was wrong. He knew that he was a goner, Emilie and Adrien were destined for disgrace and predjudice if he stayed in a world like this. Not to mention, giving back the Miraculouses of Ladybug and Chat Noir was impossible, even if he did make the wish. 

For every wish, there must be a price. He walked up to Emilie’s life support tank, gently pressing his hand against it. “I’m sorry, Emilie. We were so _ close _ this time… so close.” He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He steadied himself against the urge to cry. “But you have to wait for a little longer. I can’t bring you into this world as it is. If only I had _ known _my son was Chat Noir… we can’t live peacefully as long as the world knows our identities.” 

He opened his closed fist, the miraculous in it glowing and reacting to his will. It could _ feel _his intent. He gently kissed Emilie’s chamber. 

“I wish that Ladybug’s identity had never been revealed.”

Ladybug stood behind a curtain, staring at Adrien; he was so _ dreamy. _ When someone had attempted to sabatoge his fashion show premiere for Gabriel Agreste’s new line, Ladybug knew she _ had _to do something. She had managed to catch the sabateur with Chat Noir- who kept mysteriously disappearing for a few moments whenever she tried to look for Adrien- and the show had to go on. She could hear the beeps of her miraculous growing stronger and suddenly, her desire to watch the show had faded. She latched onto one of the rafters above backstage, only for a fan to pass by. “Ladybug?! Damn… me and my friends wanted an autograph…”

_ The flash of a fan pulling her through the crowd and the beeps growing louder flashed through her head. _

“Woah, what was _ that? _ Ah- I’m gonna transform back!” As she dashed out of the building, she jumped onto the roof of a nearby building and safely detransformed. “Whew, Tikki, that was exciting, wasn’t it?” There was nothing but silence in the air. “Tikki?” She felt… _ strange. _Raising a single hand, she felt for the earrings- only, to her horror, find that they weren’t there. She glanced at the ground, trying to find them, her panic rising. However, in her closed hand, she felt something there. Opening her palm, her eyes widened.

A glinting, light-purple miraculous was there. One she _ didn’t _ remember picking up. But… where had Tikki gone?! Where was _ her _Miraculous?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD IT'S DONE OG MY GODDGAWerhyREAHZEWRHDRFAZG  
https://discord.gg/BUCz58  
[if anyone wants it]
> 
> ALSO, I MAY CONTINUE THIS....

**Author's Note:**

> This is meant to be short, chapters I can update once a day or so. c: Hope you don't mind! I dunno how long this will continue but I have a general idea of where I'm taking the story. Please leave a comment and some criticism, or tell me if you like the story or not! I'm a bit new to writing in terms of Miraculous Ladybug.


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